Automatic control for hot-water incubators



P. BAUR ET AL AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR HOT WATER INCUBATORb June 23, 1925. 1,543,358

Filed July 6. 1922 Patented `lune 23, 1925.

UNITED STATES PAUL BAUR. AND ROBERT E. LAUCK, or TAYLOR, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR HOT-WATER INCUBATORS.

Application led July 6,

TonaZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, PAUL `BAUR and ROBERT E. LAUcx7 citizens of the United States, and residents of Taylor, in the county of IVilliamso-n and Statevof Texas, have invented certain new` and useful Improvements inI Automatic Controls for Hoff Vater Incubators, of which the following is a specication. I

It is well known to those experienced in the operation of incubators that the proper temperature during the period o-f incubation is approximately 108'degrees F; In incubators heated by hotv air any variation. from this temperature is quickly controlled, but where hot water is employed as the heating medium-it requires longer to either bring up or reduce the temperature. As atemperature higher than 103 degrees F. often incurs tremendous losses in eggs and chicks more so than a slight fall of temperature, it is of great importance that means be employed to lower any increase in the temperature as soon as possible as well as to check any further rise. This means usually consists o-f a thermostat which by its expanding action acts on certain damper levers and by lifting a damper permits the heat from the lamp to escape into the outer air. But hot water holds heat very long, and furthermore water that has become overheated has risen into the upper coils in the incub-ator, and is therefore not affected by the lifting of the damper which only acts to check the heating of an additional supply of water. Our invention relates to a method of quickly reducing the temperature of the water in the coils within the machine, thereby reducing very quickly the temperature of the egg chamber, this means acting in unison with theJ damper and controlled by the same thermostat. It can be applied to practically any make o-f hot water incubator, but is shown and described as attached to a type having a hinged top.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an incubator, embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the incubator on the line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional detail view showing the connection between the thermostat and the operating mechanism for the damper and our device.

Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view 1922. Serial N0. 573,209.

through the auxiliary water tank .on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

In these viewsl designates the side of an incubator to which isA attached the usual lamp or other suitable water heating device 2. A heating coil 3 is arranged in any desired manner within the incubator, receiving hot water from the heating device 2 and returning the cooled water thereto in the usual manner. .A hinged top4 is provided for the incubator. I/Vithin the incubator is placed the usual water thermostat 5 which acts upon ar rod 6. A damper 7 is suspended over the'lamp and is connected to one end of a lever' 8 the opposite end of which is acted on by the rod 6. All of the above parts are in common use in hot water incubators in one form or another. To these parts Awe add the following:

On the .top ofthe incubator and back of the hinged portion 4 we place a reservoir 9 having a filling vent l() and a gaugell. On the side of the incubator and below the level of the reservoir is placed av water tank 12. A feed pipe 13 leads from the reservoir to the tank and its lower end is slotted as at 18a whereby water is automatically maintained in the tank at a predetermined level. A pipe 14 leads from the tank 12 and connects with any desired portion of the water coils within the incubator, depending o-n the type of heating coil used.

A lever 15, similar to thelever 8 is pivotally mounted on the side of the incubator and extends in the opposite direction from the lever 8. One end of this lever is also in engagement with the rod 6, and the other end carries a link and a slidable rod 16, working through a guide bracket 17 and supporting a ball valve 18 adapted to close the upper end of the pipe 14, which extends into and approximately midway the height of the water tank 12. .A coil spring 19 encircles the rod 16, and normally holds the ball valve seated.

As long as the temperature is normal or is below the limit set, the ball 18 remains in closed position, but when the temperature of the egg chamber rises above the predetermined limit the expansion of the thermostat will lift the damper 7 and at the same time lever 15 will be actuated in unison with the damper lever 8. This movement of lever 15 will lift the ball 18 from its seat against the tension of the coil spring 19 andV cool water from tank l2 will be admitted to the heating coil 3 of the incubator.

As soon as the temperature of the incubator drops to the required limit the contraction ot the thermostat will permit the spring 19 to reseat the ball 18 and the supply of cold water will be cut off, until the temperature again rises above normal. As water is thus drawn from tank l2 in small amounts it is automatically replaced by an additional supply from the reservoir 9.

It may also be remarked that inthe actual running of an incubator the damper is not usually either lowered to produce a tight fit over the lamp flue or lifted high above it, but usually occupies an intermediate position. The spring 19 allows for this variation, that is, a greater amount of expansion may be required inthe thermostat 'to litt the ball 19 than is required to lift the damper slightly clear of the flue, and the ball will reseat in advance of the damper.

le have not shown any overflow outlet as this is common to all types ot hot water systems in use` with incubators so tar as they have come to our knowledge, and is not. a part ot our invention. Our device is designed to be used in connectionwith several different forms of hot wrater heating and for several makes of incubators, and in applying the same it is placed on the side opposite the overfiow, hence the same would not appear 'in the present drawings.

What we claim is l. In the combination of an incubator having a hatching chamber, tubes for heating the chamber, a main water supply tank, and a thermostatic control, of an automatic water feeding device, comprising a stationary auxiliary water tank, a rigid supply pipe extending from the main tank to the auxiliary tank for maintaining the water in said auxiliary tank to a predetermined level, a pipe lixed tov and extended through the auxiliary water tank slightly below said predetermined level, and a loosely mounted and ther.- mostatically controlled valvek for. permitting water from the auxiliary tank to enter the heating tubes within said hatching chamber.

2. In an incubator, the combination with a hatching chamber, tubes for heating the chamber, a main water supply tank, and a thermostatic control, of an automatic water feeding device, comprising an auxiliary water tank secured to the upper edve otv the incubator, a rigid supply pipe extending from the main tank to the auxiliary tank for maintaining the water in rsaid auxiliary tank to a predetermined level, a hand Operated valve carried; by said supply pipe, a. pipe connected with the said heating tubes at one end and extended through the auxiliary water tank at its opposite end to, a point slightly below said water level, andl al valve operated by the tl'ierino-stattor opening and closing'. the last named pipe. Y

ln, testimony whereof we our signatures.

PAUL BAUR. RGBERTr LAUCK. 

